Mainland China’s top spy agency vows to fight ‘Taiwan independence’ ahead of William Lai’s inauguration

The article also called on Beijing’s secret service agencies to “help advance the reunification of China”. Incoming Taiwan cabinet to feature fresh faces but security left to old hands Chen’s article, published just weeks before the inauguration of Taiwanese president-elect William Lai Ching-te, is the second time this year that Beijing’s top anti-spy body has … Read more

Taiwan’s president-elect calls for ‘healthy dialogues’ with Beijing in party-to-party talks

His remarks came amid soaring cross-strait tensions. Beijing has denounced Lai as a “troublemaker” and an “obstinate separatist”, and has tried to downplay the significance of the ruling party’s electoral victory. The DPP won just 40 per cent of the ballot and lost its majority in the legislature. Earlier this month, Taiwan’s former leader Ma … Read more

Taiwan will tear down all remaining statues of Chiang Kai-shek in public spaces

Taiwan’s government will remove all remaining statues of late president Chiang Kai-shek from public spaces in what is seen as a bid to erase his legacy and the historical link with mainland China. Chiang ruled the island for nearly three decades until his death in 1975. He had led his Nationalist or Kuomintang troops to … Read more

Taiwan Strait may face ‘political tsunami’ in 2025 but young hearts can save the day: mainland China journal

Lai might adopt “low profile” and “moderate” cross-strait policies after taking office next month, and was unlikely to declare “de jure Taiwan independence” any time soon, the article said. But, in the long term, Lai might bring “high” risks such as decoupling with the mainland economy, and even “very high” risks of “causing major accidental … Read more

China reveals it executed scientist for spying in 2016 in documentary about ‘shocking’ cases

According to the documentary, Huang Yu, then a researcher at a top secret communication system development project, sent a note to “the website of a certain country’s spy agency” containing classified Chinese military codes. Huang was bitter after being removed from a unit that was working on the project due to poor work performance and … Read more

Taiwan’s former leader Ma Ying-jeou rejects Japan’s claims to Diaoyu Islands during mainland China trip

Tokyo claims the Diaoyus belong to the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, which includes the area once known as Ryukyu. However, Beijing has long disputed the notion that the Diaoyus were part of the Ryukyu kingdom. Okinawa or Ryukyu? The prefecture on the front line of China-Japan ties Liu Chengyong, director of the China National Archives … Read more

Ma Ying-jeou calls for both sides of Taiwan Strait to work together and ‘avoid war’

Former Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou has called on the two sides of the strait to work together and “avoid war” on the second day of his mainland China tour. Ma, a senior member of the Beijing-friendly opposition Kuomintang, made the remarks during a visit to the former residence of Sun Yat-sen, the founder of modern … Read more

Mainland China says it will watch Taiwanese military exercises closely for signs of ‘provocation’

Taiwan is planning a series of offshore live-fire military drills throughout April around its offshore islets, including Quemoy, a Taiwanese-held outpost which is a short distance from the mainland city of Xiamen. On Wednesday, Chen Binhua, a spokesman for mainland China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said Beijing is closely monitoring the movements of the Taiwanese army, … Read more

Could the fatal Taiwan coastguard chase be used to chart a course to ease cross-strait tensions?

To retrieve the two surviving fishermen, a 10-member delegation arrived in Quemoy, led by Li Zhaohui, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office in Quanzhou, Fujian province. The group, which also included six bereaved family members, a lawyer and two local Red Cross officials, organised the passage of the two survivors back to Quanzhou on … Read more

Mainland China’s top Taiwan official pledges support for pro-unification forces

Beijing has criticised Washington’s increased political support and arms sales to Taiwan as “external interference in China’s internal affairs”, and described them as the biggest obstacles to its reunification plan with Taiwan. Wang also told the conference that Beijing has “overcome difficulties” in pushing ahead its Taiwan agenda and winning international support for the “one … Read more